


If It's Him

by kawaiikanai



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Drugs, Fake AH Crew, Fluff, Guns, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Minor Character Death, Mute!Ryan, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-03
Updated: 2015-04-03
Packaged: 2018-03-21 02:00:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3673323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kawaiikanai/pseuds/kawaiikanai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Geoff introduces the new addition to the team, a strong and very silent type that peaks Ray’s interest. He soon learns that’s Ryan has a reason behind his quiet nature and former partner is to blame; making Ryan hard to get close to not for lack of trying.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If It's Him

Geoff opens the door of the apartment to see a familiar face, or rather, skull. “Ryan, I’m glad you could make it.” The long-time acquaintance steps in, returning his handshake with a firm grasp. “What’ve you been up to these days?” He gives a casual shrug, which Geoff assumes to either mean not much or ‘I’m not going to say’; which is fine by Geoff. Sometimes the stories he does hear about him are a little unsettling.

Ryan hadn’t even been sure if he was going to show up after Geoff had called him. He was a cool guy and all, and dependable, but he’s never worked well with others. Geoff was adamant about him joining his little group, however, and after a few sketchy freelance jobs he decided why not? He was tired of working with dumbasses on random jobs that definitely didn’t pay enough, so why not at least upgrade to working with a smartass. He did a little research before coming over and, as he thought, Geoff lead the notorious AH Crew, the rowdiest bunch of delinquents in the city. It was too much of a compliment to call them an actual ‘gang’, but they were something.

Ray is nudged with an elbow, prompting him to look up from his DS to see Michael giving him an odd look. He knows better than to bug him while he’s gaming, especially not by touching him, but the expression on his face makes his annoyance subside. Michael lifts his chin, gesturing towards the door of the apartment. Ray follows his eyes to see Geoff leading a peculiar looking man from the front hallway down to the meeting area where everyone else has gathered. They were about to start their usual run down on their jobs for the week when the doorbell rang and Geoff excused himself. He’s never seen this man before. Is Geoff planning a big heist again and this is some inside man or something?

Geoff and the man stand in front of the big TV on the wall and Geoff calls everyone to attention, making Ray have to save his game and close his DS. “Alright, fuckers, first thing’s first- We’ve got a new addition to the crew.”

“And you talked to us about this when?” Michael crosses his arms, leaning back on the couch. Gavin is giving the man a worried look, scrunching up a little closer to Michael. The man is a little daunting; about the same height as Geoff but the way he holds himself with his chest puffed out and chin tilted up makes him seem taller.

“Since I’m the leader of you pricks I didn’t see the need to have to get your permission.” Michael flashes his middle finger at Geoff and he gladly returns the gesture. “Besides, we’ve been needing some more muscle around here and Ryan here is the perfect man for the job.” Which Geoff actually had mentioned before casually but Ray guesses Michael brushed it off as him joking. Having another member on the crew would be helpful; they could finally have three even teams instead of teams of two and three.

The tattooed gent claps his hand on the man’s shoulder and his masked face slowly turns towards Geoff, as if to say ‘hands off’. He’s a sturdy looking guy; leather jacket seeming to hug tight to firm muscles. He doesn’t say a word, the eyes behind his mask scanning over the group silently. When they fall on Ray, they linger, making him shift uncomfortably and fiddle with the stylus sticking out of his DS. Even after the introduction, Ryan doesn’t say anything, making Ray wonder why he’s so tightlipped.

Geoff gestures for Ryan to take a seat with the rest of them but he instead opts for standing behind the couch, towering over the small crew. It makes Ray a little nervous, having a stranger standing behind him out of eyesight. He knows nothing about this guy so he definitely wants to get a feel for him before he’s anywhere near trustworthy. As Ray listen’s to Geoff’s orders his head turns to look behind him, the back of his neck prickling. He sees Ryan turn his attention back towards Geoff, but Ray doesn’t miss his stare. Why the fuck was this guy staring at him? Did he have a problem or something?

Once the young man goes back to listening to Geoff Ryan can’t help but look down at him again. Why would Geoff hire someone so young? What was he thinking? And he’s got a few other young guys on the team as well, one of them giving him the stink eye and the other looking like he was going to piss himself when Ryan walked in. What’s he gotten himself into?

Geoff finishes up his briefing and dismisses everyone to do their own thing, heading over to the bar. Ryan follows suit, not knowing what else to do, and he finds himself next to a burly fellow with a welcoming grin.

“Nice to meet you, Ryan.” The man’s voice as friendly as can be despite Ryan’s intimidating stature. “I’m Jack.”

Ryan takes his outstretched hand, quite taken aback by the warm greeting but it’s a nice change of pace. Usually he’s just thrust into a job and told what to do and who to kill, not treated like a buddy.

“He’s a quiet one.” Geoff says, pouring himself some whiskey. “He’s actually never said a word the whole time I’ve known him.”

“Really?” Jack raises an eyebrow but then quickly shrugs it off.

Ryan actually hasn’t talked in years. He stopped being able to talk a year or so before he met Geoff, not that he talked much beforehand anyway. It was a cruel, permanent reminder of his time in Burnie’s gang whenever he felt the need to speak, so after a while he just got used to not even trying.

“At least you didn’t hire another loudmouth.” The young man interjects from the couch, pointing a thumb over at the other two boys, one holding the other in a headlock.

“Ha!” Geoff sets his drink down after a sip, “Like I’d ever make that mistake again.”

“Oi, Ray!” The squeaky one retorts, still struggling in the other’s grip. “I can h-hear you, you know! Bloody bastards!”

Ray stands up and makes his way over to the bar, Ryan’s eyes following him as he does. “I don’t really care if you can talk or not as long as you can shoot.” Ray tells him.

Ryan could say the same of him.

“You don’t have to worry about that; Ryan’s a little more than trigger happy.” Geoff grabs his drink and leaves the bar, mentioning to Jack about some maps he needs help marking. Jack follows him, leaving Ray and Ryan relatively alone.

“You want a drink?” Ray asks, motioning towards the array of booze Geoff likes to keep at hand.

Ryan shakes his head, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He really doesn’t say anything, does he? Ray supposes that could be a good thing. Gavin’s one of his best friends and even he can get annoying sometimes. Having someone more on the quiet side on the team could be a good change of pace.

“Well, I hope you’re as good as Geoff seems to think you are.” Ray half smirks, playfully punching Ryan in the arm. It makes Ryan flinch, surprisingly, eyes glaring down at Ray a moment before his shoulders stop tensing up. He hits Ray back, it hurting quite a bit but Ray can tell he still pulled the punch, so he’ll let this time slide. 

~

Ryan learns a lot about Ray the more missions they do together. He’s a good kid and an even better shot, so working well with him almost comes naturally. It’s strange, though, how relaxed he is whenever they hang out together. Ryan’s not used to people being like that with him, so no matter how long Ray chats away at him without a care in the world it never gets any less amusing.

Ryan’s started to finally show some kind of personality, which Ray likes. He’s laid back just like him, but when it comes to party time he’s is all explosions and shoot-first-ask-questions-later whereas Ray is all about picking people off silently and carefully. Their styles are quite ironic considering.

Ray particularly enjoys the rides him and Ryan share. Ray will sit back and play his DS or listen to the radio while Ryan drives. He’s even grown accustom to the classic rock Ryan plays, learning not to try changing the station or else his hand would earn a swift smack and threatening finger in his face. They don’t particularly go anywhere on their rides, just so long as they get out of the stuffy apartment once in a while. Ryan agrees that the usual ruckus that goes on in there can get a little grinding; so when things start to get hectic all Ray has to do is shoot Ryan a glance and in a moment he’s grabbing the keys to his Lamborghini.

This evening they’ve ended up stopping on top of Mt. Chiliad, standing on the observation deck as the sun sets, the sky slowly changing from a pinkish-orange to a deep purple. Ray’s in a talkative mood, talking about random things here and there in between admiring the nature show. “Oh, yeah. I overheard Geoff mention you were from Georgia?” Ryan nods without looking at him and wondering where Geoff got that bit of info. “Man, I can’t imagine growing up there. It must have been really boring.”

Ryan shrugs, leaning on the railing. Ray takes a moment to look at what he could of Ryan’s face. Even the little he could see through the holes in his mask were painted jet black with face paint. He can’t say why, but he feels like Ryan is off today. He’s usually more animated than just a shrug here and there. Ryan talks with his hands and body language and all of today he’s seemed withdrawn into himself.

“Are you feeling ok?” Ryan glances over to him but he neither nods nor shakes his head, just looks right back at the glowing horizon. His head’s just been in a mess today. It gets that way sometimes and for no reason. He’ll wake up one morning and his memory will trail back to darker times and he’ll be left in a funk until he goes back to sleep that night.

“Hey,” Ray takes a step closer and nudges Ryan’s elbow with his own, making Ryan look at him. “I know you can’t actually tell me, but you can let me know if you’re feeling down or whatever.” He rubs the back of his neck, never being one for mushy stuff.

Ryan stares at him a moment, eyes flickering over his face. His hand reaches up to Ray’s head, tussling his hair. “Hey!” Ray pulls away, fingers combing through his hair and trying to fix it again but he can see the corners of Ryan’s eyes crinkling in a smile, so he doesn’t protest anymore. “Anyway, we should get back soon. It’s getting dark.” The lights of the city were already looking brighter than the sky, little white flickering dots.

Ray heads for the car but when Ryan gets to it he pops the trunk, pulling out a fireworks launcher. He holds it up to show Ray and he laughs, shaking his head. “Ok, maybe we can stay a little longer.”

They end up staying out well into the night, taking turns firing different fireworks and watching them burst into reds and blues. For some reason, the sight makes Ray’s chest swell with a childish glee and he can’t wipe off the stupid grin plastered to his face.

Ryan jerks back as he launches another rocket into the sky, letting his arms drop to his sides as he watches the red burst in front of them. Ray looks down at Ryan’s hand, fingers callous and much bigger than his own. He feels the urge to grab them, needing something solidifying to hold onto in this surreal moment. Usually the thought of someone touching him makes his skin crawl, but with Ryan it feels ok. They’ve fist bumped after missions and shoved each other around while they were on adrenaline highs and it always felt normal, but as soon as someone else claps a hand on his shoulder or pokes at him he automatically shrugs them away.

Ryan feels the briefest of touches on his hand and when he turns to Ray he sees that his face is red, despite how much he’s trying to hide it.

A moment of quiet darkness goes by and Ray tries again, this time gingerly pushing his knuckles between Ryan’s loose fingers awkwardly, the roughness grounding his flustered head. The feeling he gets is more of a warm glow than the usual burning sensation from skin on skin contact, which is comforting.

He thinks he’s gotten away with this little touch when Ryan pulls his hand away, Ray’s heart sinking. Then, a hand slides into his properly, cupping against his and squeezing slightly. It’s almost engulfing, but it’s kind of nice that way, like wrapping yourself up in a big blanket. He can’t bring himself to look at Ryan again that night. All of his confidence and bravery went into his hand holding, but he can tell that after that Ryan is feeling himself again, letting Ray rest his hand on top of the gent’s as they coast down the mountain and back into the streets of Los Santos.

~

It’s about a month later when Michael and Gavin approach him with concerns. He’d noticed them giving him odd looks whenever he’d come back from a night out with Ryan, but never really said anything to him. After a rough mission that ended with them all getting chased out to the ocean by three police choppers and him falling out of the boat; all Ray wanted to do was go wash the salt water out of his hair and then crash. Before he can get down the hallway Gavin grabs his arm; making him pull out of his grasp but he turns towards him anyway. “What’s up?”

“Can me and Micoo talk to you a sec?” He asks, looking behind him to Michael who is just getting done with helping Geoff count and split their money.

Ray sighs, but follows him to the table, Ryan giving a passing glance as he walks towards his room to dump his stuff. Michael nods to Geoff as Ray comes up and he’s handed his share, stuffing it in his hoodie pocket. He hands Gavin his cut too before taking a stack for himself and motioning for Ray to follow them to the kitchen. Ray wonders what’s with all the secretiveness. They’re not usually like this.

After digging into the fridge for a beer Michael finally speaks up, leaning next to Gavin on the counter. “So, you and Ryan have gotten pretty tight these past few months.”

Here we go. “Yeah, he’s a cool guy.” Ray shrugs.

“I guess.” Michael takes a swig of his beer. “He’s alright to work with, but we don’t really know much about him.”

“We were wondering if he’s told you anything.” Gavin pipes up and Michael slaps his arm.

“Not really; I mean, he doesn’t actually talk, you know?” It’s more of a feel for him that Ray goes on than anything else. He may not know much about what Ryan likes or his opinions on things, but he gets a sense of calm when he’s around him. When he hangs with Michael and Gavin there’s a constant buzz in the air that keeps him on edge and rearing to go, but with Ryan he can relax or sometimes let the top off his stress and vent; and Ryan always listens. He doesn’t give any advice or kind words of support, but as soon as Ray’s done voicing his worries Ryan will either give him a quick squeeze of the shoulder or hand him some sticky grenades to blow shit up, depending on his mood.

“We just wanted to make sure you’re not getting into trouble with him.” Gavin says, “Well, more trouble than usual.”

“What are you talking about?”

Gavin leans in, lowering his voice. “We’ve just been hearing some stuff from Geoff about Ryan’s former team. It didn’t end well.”

Ray is taken aback, not really one for gossip but if it concerns Ryan… He shakes his head. “If Ryan wanted us to know that stuff he’d tell us- I mean, he’d let it be known somehow.”

Michael points his beer at Ray. “Look, it’s just that with a shady background it’s hard for us to trust him. Also, what the fuck is up with his mask? Is he Spawn under there or something?”

Ray lets out a laugh. “I doubt that. Maybe he’s had a hard time trusting us, too? If his last team ended so badly, he might have a hard time getting used to a new one.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Michael looks away and Ray takes it as a sign the conversation is over now.

Ryan sees Ray come out of the kitchen and he waits before leaving his room, ducking behind him and heading for the living room. He wanted to just grab a snack then hurry off again but he sees Geoff flagging him down and he holds back a sigh before joining him. “How’s it going, bud?” Geoff asks casually, leaning over the table between them. Ryan doesn’t say anything. “Ok, I’ll be more direct; how’s it going with you and Ray?”

Ryan pauses before crossing his arms, head tilted. He doesn’t like being asked personal questions like this, and Geoff should know that.

Geoff raises a hand, waving him off. “I know, it’s none of my business what you get up to. But I love the kid to bits just like the rest of my crew and I want to be able to look out for him. That means not letting him get mixed up with someone who may get him hurt.” Geoff’s usual don’t-give-a-fuck attitude is gone, replaced by a fatherly tone.

Ryan knows where this is coming from. Geoff’s probably heard all about what happened to him through the grapevine and is concerned about Ray being around him so much. It’s only natural. He gives Geoff an understanding nod, letting down his standoff-ish pose.

“So, is there anything going on between you two that I should know about?”

In all honesty, Ryan’s not sure what he and Ray are. They’ve grow attached to each other, more than he’d like to admit, and they continue to get closer every day. He could see himself being in a legit relationship with Ray, which scares him. His track record is nothing to gloat about, so every time he thinks there’s some sort of spark between them he’s been quick to snuff it out. He slipped up once, allowing himself to touch Ray in a not so just-friends way, but besides that he’s set a boundary. Ray’s surprised him a few times with little touches on his back or sitting close enough to let their legs rest together, but he’s never made a move on his own. Partly because of his determination to not let things progress, and the other because sometimes the contact between them feels forced. He’s noticed how Ray holds himself around the others; withdrawn into himself and moving away if someone gets into his personal space. When it comes to him, however, Ray seems to gravitate towards him. He doesn’t understand why he’s different.

Ryan can only offer Geoff a shrug at best, not meaning to hide anything from the man about his own crew membber but he simply doesn’t know how to answer. Geoff takes him in a moment, sizing him up. “Well, whatever’s going on, you’d better take care of the lad. Don’t make me have to hunt you down.”

Ryan lets himself chuckle at the thought of Geoff trying to kill him before offering his hand, a promise to do his best. Geoff seals the oath with a shake of his ink-covered hand.

A half an hour later and Ryan hears the patio door open behind him, the sounds of a rough game of Mario Kart flooding out before it’s shut again, muffling everyone’s shouts of frustration. “Oh, hey.” Ray says, Ryan turns around from where he’d been leaning on the railing to give him a look. He’s just gotten out of the shower and still has a towel around his neck, a can of soda from the fridge dangling in his hand. “I didn’t know you were out here; I thought you’d gone to bed.”

Ryan shakes his head and returns his gaze to the city, Ray settling next to him. They’re both quiet, the occasional sipping noise from Ray and off and on sirens from somewhere unknown. Ray sets his empty can down on the unused table near the edge of the small space and lets out a sigh, letting Ryan know he wants to say something.

“Say, you’ve been here a long time and-” Ray starts off, “you’ve kind of grown on some of the crew.” Ryan gives him a sideways glance that tells him he’s not fooling anyone. He continues none-the-less; hoping to get what he has to say out of his system. “Some of us, not just me, ya know, were wondering about your mask.” Ryan tenses.

Ray leans a little closer, resting his arm against Ryan’s. “Michael and Gavin’s theory is that you’re some masked super villain, which I could see.” He smirks, and Ryan calms down slightly, “I told them probably not, though. Wouldn’t want them to blow your cover.”

Ryan lets his head fall a little, his heart clenching against his will. He wishes Ray wouldn’t have brought this up, but it was only a matter of time. His mask isn’t just some prop to intimidate people, it’s his security device. It’s his way of keeping the world out and his emotions in. Without it he feels too exposed, too vulnerable. People would be able to tell what upsets him or makes him angry and they’d use it against him without a moment’s pause; and he can’t let that happen.

Ray presses his lips together, trying to sort out what he wants to say. “I also told them that it shouldn’t really matter whether you wear a mask or not.” Ray knocks his hand against Ryan’s and Ryan hesitates before grabbing it, their fingers linking. They’ve gotten used to this kind of touching now, it being natural for them now whenever they’re alone together. It’s just another way for them to communicate, and Ray’s grown so accustom to the feeling that he finds it odd when his hand isn’t in Ryan’s for too long. “I think maybe you don’t trust people too easily, which isn’t too surprising in this business, so you feel the need to hide.” He shrugs, not wanting to assume Ryan of anything but also trying to figure him out. “That’s fine, though.”

Ryan stares at him, his eyes searching his face. “Just…” Ray looks away, “Just know that you can trust me if you want. You don’t have to keep your guard up all the time.” He flashes a half a smile, “It’s not like I’d have anyone to tell on you to anyway.”

He lets go of Ryan’s hand and grabs his can, walking back towards the door before stopping. His hand goes into a fist and he turns back to Ryan. “I’m not trying to pressure or rush you into anything. I just want you… I want you to trust me like I trust you.” Ray takes a step forward and leans in, pressing a quick kiss to the tooth-shaped rubber of Ryan’s mask.

Before his face can redden he moves away and goes to leave but a firm hand grabs his arm, making him look back. Ryan’s eyes bore into him, a chill running down his spine that isn’t just because of the wind. Ryan’s other hand opens and closes, suggesting his waver. His hand finally raise to under his chin and slowly, he pulls the mask up and over his head, letting it hang in his hand. Ray finds himself staring before brushing sandy-blonde hair away from Ryan’s paint smudged face, letting his hand rest on his chin. The stubble is scratchy, but Ray likes the rugged look it gives him. “You’re not disfigured at all. Very boring,” He jokes, and Ryan’s mouth twitches at a smile. “But not disappointing.”

Ryan pushes more hair out of his face, tucking it behind his ear. His fingers graze over the dented line of a scar running over his cheek that stretched across his face, another souvenir from his final moments in Burnie’s gang. They hadn’t liked him going against their plan to blow up one of the police stations downtown. Usually he’d be the first one to sign up for a gig like that; but that station was across the street from a hospital. He may be slightly crazy and have a hatred for cops as much as the next criminal, but to endanger a hospital? Even he wasn’t that cruel. They had rules, however, and tipping off those same cops in order to keep them away from the hospital was a big mistake. They’d made sure he regretted ratting them out after that; taking extra care to make sure he’d never tattle-tail (or say anything for that matter) ever again.

He’s revealed himself to this young man and all he does is make a joke. No malice or deceiving, just acts like everything is normal between them; with him. Could he do this? Could he put his trust in someone again? With Ray, it seems almost possible.

“I’m guessing you want to try that again?”

Ryan’s lips part, nodding, and that’s all Ray needs to see before he’s balancing up on his toes and rightly kissing him. It’s not at all what Ray had imagined kissing would be like. Usually the thought of doing this with anyone would make him cringe; but right now he wants to only know one thing: what Ryan tastes like. It’s nothing magical like ice cream or mint or whatever those romance novels say, but Ray wouldn’t like it if it did. It just tastes like saliva and maybe some nicotine from the cigarettes that he sees Ryan stuffing into his jacket sometimes but has never actually seen him smoke. It’s positively bitter and rough but that’s just what makes it Ryan and Ray’s ok with that.

~

Deep breath in. Hold while lining up target. Pull trigger. Slowly release.

Ray recites the mantra in his head as he takes down a cop just stepping out of his patrol car on the street below him. Michael and Gavin should be wrapping up with grabbing the money by now, so where the hell are they? Just as the thought crosses his mind, he sees the doors of the pawn shop open and Michael comes out with an encumbered bag of goods, Gavin stumbling out behind him.

Two more police cars skid down the street and stop in front of the establishment; blocking the duo’s path to the get-away car in the nearby alley. Ray scrambles up from his sniper spot he’d picked and runs to the corner of the roof, trying to get a better angle on the newly arrived heat. Michael pulls out his handgun and takes down one of the cops as Gavin backs him up with his SMG, but the other three duck behind their cars for cover. Ray takes their obliviousness to his presence as a chance to snipe one of the bigger ones in the head, his body falling over onto the black concrete.

“Fuck, we’re getting boned over here!” Michael’s voice rings in Ray’s earpiece.

“I got one.” Ray tells him, “But there are more cars coming this way.” Ray can see the black and white blurs in the corner of his eye as he aims at another cop, taking the shot.

“Plus a chopper.” Jack reports, the whirring sound of his own helicopter making his voice hard to hear. “I’m tailing it now but with this wind Goeff can’t get a good shot at it.”

“I can try and get it from my spot.” Ray tells them, watching as bullets swap sides down below but thankfully none of the ones from the cops hitting their targets. Michael and Gavin have taken up their own hiding places behind a car in the parking lot, but the shield won’t last much longer. “Try to drop in and scoop up Gav and Michael while I take out the chopper. They can’t make it to the alley.”

“Copy.” Jack cuts out just as he can hear the chopper flying overhead, it coming in from the east. He takes a couple shots at the already smoking body, but can’t quite hit the pilot. A side door opens and an officer starts to shoot his way, making him have to jump behind an air duct.

The hail of bullets stops and Ray pops up for a brief second, firing in the general direction of the chopper but only hitting the tail. The bullets fly again and pin him down, giving him time to switch cartridges. He tosses the empty one aside, then picks up his LMG instead. He hears another chopper overhead and hears Geoff swearing as he gives Jack cover fire. “Go!” Michael shouts and Ray takes it as a sign that he and Gavin are in the chopper. He counts to three, then makes a break for the fire escape, the sound of artillery hitting the cement behind him all too close. He manages to slide through the gate and take the metal stairs two at a time, the rattling of the rickety ladders doing nothing for stealth.

He rides the bottom ladder down and lands in the dirty alley below, rushing to the corner and hugging the wall. Ray spots the police helicopter beginning to follow Jack’s and he lets loose with his LMG, spraying the window with bullets until he sees the slightest bit of red splash onto the broken glass. The cop in the back jumps out as the chopper goes down, both landing hard and neither surviving.

One of the cops from the nearby cars spots him and shoots but Ray is able to get behind the wall just as a bullet nicks the corner. The red dust of the bricks scatters onto his hoodie but he doesn’t bother brushing it off. Where’s Ryan and his damn pick-up?Ray hears the cop shouting to the others that he’s heading in his direction and he quickly runs to the nearest dumpster, diving behind it and waiting. Once the cop comes barreling down the alley after him he’ll open fire.

He kneels there, waiting, until he starts to hear footsteps pounding the pavement not from the mouth of the alley, but from the other side. A second later the cop comes around the corner, handgun raised and aimed right at him. He must have been smart enough to try and head him off instead of trying to chase him down, the bastard.

“Drop your weapon!” The officer demands, training the gun right at Ray’s head.

He has no choice but to slowly start to set his gun on the ground and stand up, hands raised. He’s going to be hearing about getting caught for weeks from the guys. It’s usually Gavin to fuck up and get cornered, not him.

The cop reaches for the walkie-talkie on his shoulder, about to report when his eyes go wide, staring at the other end of the alleyway. Ray dares to look behind him to see what’s gotten the cop’s attention and as soon as he sees it he drops to the ground and covers his head, a missile zooming over his head only a moment later and hitting the wall next to the cop. It explodes in a burst of flames and the cop is killed practically instantly, only charred remains.

Ray gets up and snatches back his gun, running to the street and hopping onto the awaiting green motorcycle. “About time, dude.”

Ryan gives him a two fingered salute before putting his RPG on his back strap and revving the engine; pushing off and weaving between the remains of the squad cars that were in front of the pawn shop. Both the cop cars and the car Michael and Gavin were hiding behind are wrecked.

“I need a sit-rep.” Geoff calls, sounding a little worried.

“I’m with Ryan. We’ll meet you guys at the rendezvous but first we need to lose some unwanted attention.” Geoff acknowledges and Ray grabs Ryan’s waist a little tighter as they swerve around a tight corner. The cops aren’t far behind them, their sirens getting on his nerves. Once Ryan takes another corner he points his SMG at the nearest squad car and opens fire on its tires, making the car skid on its rims and hop the curb.

The other two cars don’t even slow down and are soon firing back at them, Ryan doing his best to serpentine. “Fuck, there’s no way were outrunning them even on this. We’d better-“ Ray cries out in shock and Ryan glances back to see what’s wrong. One of the bullets has managed to hit him in his shoulder, the arm carrying his SMG going limp and banging against the side of the bike. Ray’s other hand clenches at Ryan’s shirt and he quickly grabs it, squeezing it and encouraging him to hang in there.

A sound like a popped balloon erupts behind them and Ryan doesn’t have time to react and correct the bike before they’re slamming to the ground; the bike flying and crashing through the front of a shop as the two of them do their best to tuck and roll their landing. When they finally stop Ryan is the first to stumble to his feet, shaking the dizziness from his head and looking around for Ray. When he spots him a few feet away he runs over, scooping him up onto his feet and getting him to keep moving. Ray’s a little out of it, but he’s conscious enough to get moving; following Ryan down a set of subway stairs.

They take the steps by two, but as they get to the deserted platform Ray starts to lag. Ryan goes to grab him and tug him along when he notices the red patch running down his pant leg and instead comes to his side, putting his arm around his waist. “Dude, I got it, just keep going.” Ray protests, but Ryan ignores him, helping him wobble to the edge of the platform before letting go. Ryan jumps down onto the tracks then holds out his arms. Ray tsks, but takes his help anyway; sitting down on the edge before Ryan helps him make a much softer landing below.

The sound of footsteps echoes behind them and Ray pushes away anymore help from Ryan, gritting his teeth before breaking into a sprint. He’ll be damned if he slows them down anymore. Ryan runs beside him, both of them struggling to see in the dark in between the construction lights littering the tunnel. Ray trips once and Ryan stops in his tracks, moving to help him up but he gets to his feet on his own. “Fuck this, man, just keep going and I can hold them off.”

Ray turns around and checks the clip on his gun, seeing that it’s half full. If he makes his shots count he can take them all out; there should only be four tops. A moment of silence, then he hears Ryan take off running. Good. He can buy Ryan some time. He hears the voices again coming down the way and he takes a deep breath, it rattling more than he likes but there’s nothing he can do about it. His shoulder’s shot and he banged up his leg pretty bad when they flew off the bike; so there was no way he was going to get out of this subway that easily.

Just as he sees the flash of a light coming around the bend he feels a tug at the back of his hoodie. “Wha-?” Ryan pulls him forcibly down the way, Ray not being able to shake his grip. “What the fuck, you’re supposed to be out of here!” Ryan just hurries along until Ray sees a utility door propped open with Ryan’s RPG. He’s practically tossed in before Ryan grabs back his launcher and lets the door close, plunging them into darkness. “Damn it, Rye-“

Ryan pushes his hand against Ray’s mouth, making him shut up as he listens carefully, pulling his mask off so he can hear better. They should have been able to sneak in here before the cops spotted them, but he wants to make sure. Ray’s breathing is ragged, his chest fluttering against his own and Ryan pulls his hand away. He can’t believe this idiot. He’s supposed to be the reckless one and here Ray goes being all self-sacrificing.

Ray’s hand shakily goes to Ryan’s jacket, grasping the edge of it and Ryan helps Ray slide down the wall to sit on the ground. He pulls out his phone and lets the screen shine on Ray’s shoulder, trying to assess the damage; his hoodie ruined from all the blood on it. He uses his free hand to unzip it and push it off Ray’s shoulder, Ray letting out a small chuckle. “Hey, man, we haven’t even gone out on a proper date yet and you’re trying to undress me? Not cool.”

Ryan shakes his head, knowing Ray’s just using humor to try and lighten the mood. He’s able to help the hoodie off of him and toss it aside, rolling up his short sleeve to see that the bullet went straight through. Ryan has Ray hold his phone with his good hand, taking his gun away and setting it aside. Ryan shrugs off his jacket and grabs his own shirt sleeve, giving it a violent tug and ripping it away. Using the dim light of his phone, not wanting the bright light of the actual flashlight part to shine under the crack in the door and give away their position, he ties the strip of cloth up around Ray’s shoulder. It’s a temporary fix, but it’ll slow the bleeding enough for now.

Ray’s eyes have started to droop and Ryan gives his face a little tap, alerting him and making him straighten up. “I’m fine.” Ray tries to brush his hand away but it’s like a feather hitting a wall, giving up and letting his arm drop. “You should have kept going.”

Ryan takes his phone back and checks the bars, but no signal. Not surprised. He can’t see being able to move Ray like this, even though the cops are probably gone by now. How is he going to get a hold of the others for backup? The static in his headset isn’t very comforting either, probably getting fucked up during their crash.

Ryan bites his lip as he sees a shiver go through Ray. It is pretty cold down here, and losing blood in only a shirt isn’t helping. Without warning, Ryan grabs Ray under his arms, making him curse. He leans back against the opposite wall and pulls Ray to sit awkwardly on his lap, a leg on either side of his own. “Rye, what…” Ryan then grabs his jacket and drapes it around Ray’s shoulders before pushing Ray down to rest against his chest, his arms wrapping around the younger man’s waist.

“Now you really have to buy me dinner.” Ray grumbles, but he readjusts and scrunches in closer, relishing the heat Ryan gave off. “You’re lucky you’re comfy.” After that, Ray is silent, concentrating on breathing slowly and the sense of Ryan’s body against him. He doesn’t know if it’s the adrenaline still pushing through his brain or the cold sweat that his injury has brought on, but in this moment he feels like he belongs here. Not here as down in this subway, but here against Ryan. He fits so well against him and he thinks that maybe, just maybe, he’d like a bit more. He’s never been one to think about sex stuff, but with Ryan… it’s just different. Ryan makes him feel good in so many ways; so why not physically as well?

“Hey, Rye…” Ryan tilts his head to look down at him. “I think… I think I’ve gotten in a little too deep with you.” Ryan remains still, his fingers that were gliding up and down the small of his back now stopping. “Once we’re out of here and I’m not all fucked up… Could we maybe lay like this again?”

Ryan can barely believe what Ray is trying to say, but he still manages to nod, pressing a kiss to the top of Ray’s head before he goes quiet again.

~

“Where the fuck are they?” Michael huffs as he and Geoff scour the underground railway line for signs of their team. After they’d lost contact with Ray and Ryan they’d tracked down their last location on the GPS and found their bike in scraps. Worried, they searched the area and upon seeing the subway entrance they split up, deciding it was worth a look. As they descended they realized they were definitely down here, seeing traces of blood against the white tiles. “You think they made it out the other side?”

“I don’t think so.” Geoff moves his flashlight along their path, trying to pick up a trail. “Not with the amount of blood we saw. They’re down here somewhere; it just depends on in what condition.”

Michael curses, fist punching the dirty wall of the tunnel. “They’d better be alive or else I’ll fucking bring them back to life just so I can kill them.”

~

Ryan is jerked awake by a pounding noise, not realizing he’d fallen asleep. He rubs his face of sleep and shifts, becoming aware of the weight on top of him. All at once he remembers where they are and he looks down at Ray, passed out with his limbs still securely around him. He checks his pulse and it’s still beating slowly; letting Ryan breathe a sigh of relief. He fishes for the phone beside him and checks the time, seeing it’s only been roughly a half an hour.

Voices come from beyond the door and Ryan goes rigid, listening. Could the cops have come back in search of them? It’s probably what awoke him. As he concentrates, the voices trailing his way start to become familiar. His heart leaps in his chest and he tries to stand up but Ray groans and tightens his grip on him. Mentally cursing, he reaches up for the doorknob, fingers barely grazing it enough to turn it. The door creaks open and he kicks it the rest of the way, making it swing open with a bang.

The voices down the way stop, then he hears something along the lines of ‘let’s check it out’. Soon enough a light appears and Ryan uses his own phone to signal them of their presence. The footsteps become faster and Geoff and Michael find them in moments. “What the fuck happened?” Geoff asks, kneeling down in the doorway. Ryan pulls his jacket away from Ray’s shoulder to show the bullet wound, the blood finally stopped flowing and now turning brown.

Michael hisses. “Shit, let’s get you guys out of here.” Geoff helps Ryan maneuver Ray into his arms, much to the lad’s protest, before grabbing their stuff and finally heading topside.

~  
Ray opens his eyes and immediately regrets it; groaning and moving to block the sun shining on his face but his hand is stuck. He forces his eyes open a crack and sees that it’s being held down by Ryan’s, the man’s head resting on the bed next to him. Carefully, he peels his fingers out of Ryan’s and lets his fingers comb the hair out of his face. He doesn’t understand how Ryan can let his hair be this long when it’s such a mess.

Ryan stirs and sees that’s Ray’s woken up, sitting up in his chair and leaning over. “Hey.” Ray’s voice cracks, but he looks at him with a smile and Ryan can’t stop himself from smiling, too. He knew the wound Ray got was going to be ok, but that didn’t stop him from sticking by his side for the past few hours or so as Ray recovered. The only times he left were when Jack shooed him away so he could check Ray’s bandages or when he needed to go eat or something.

Ray looks down at his shoulder, just a small square of a bandage covering it. “So, how bad is it?” He asks.

Ryan gives him a quirky shrug, so it must not be that bad. He picks at a corner of the medical tape and peaks under, seeing a gnarly looking scab the size of a .45. “Ouch.” He can’t say it hurts much, at least; Jack probably giving him lots of numbing drugs while he was passed out. His shoulder’s a little sore and it kind of feels like the muscle is pulling too much, but he can work that out once he’s better.

Ray turns back to Ryan and pauses, his head clearer now and able to take him in. “Where’s your mask? And your face paint, for that matter?”

Ryan leans back in his chair, hands clasping together. Once Geoff and Michael had helped him get Ray home, he wanted to put his mask right back on. They’d seen his face now; knew what he looked like. His heart was ready to burst out of his chest. Then, Geoff came up to him and gave his shoulder a hardy pat. “Glad to see you’re ok at least.” He said, “Had me worried.”

Ryan just stared at him, wondering why he wasn’t saying anything. Had he really not noticed? Then the rest of the crew was fussing over him after making sure Ray was in Jack’s hands and it all felt so surreal. They really didn’t care about him not wearing his mask. To be honest, he knew he was the odd one out for wearing it all the time, but they didn’t even comment about it now that it was gone. They didn’t treat him any differently, and he’d felt the need to flee to his room after a while from being overwhelmed.

Ray doesn’t ask again about the mask, not really needing to know about it right now. Instead, he holds his arms out towards Ryan. “Can we, um… Can we do that thing again?”

~

Warm arms come around Ray’s waist and he lets his rifle down, putting a pause on his target practice. He’s almost gotten back to peak condition by now. The damage done to his shoulder hasn’t hindered his movement too much, but it hurts whenever the stock hits it from recoil. It’s not like he can switch to his other side easily, not being ambidextrous, so instead he’s decided to suck it up and just work out the kinks until the pain in his shoulder becomes dull and manageable. “What’s up?”

Ryan’s hand comes to rest on his shoulder, massaging it a little and nuzzling against Ray’s neck. They haven’t talked what Ray said back in the subway. Neither of them have brought it up. It’s kind of gone without saying, though. Ray knows what he said and Ryan heard him loud and clear. It’s out there in the open. Ray prefers to keep it that way. Words don’t always express things well enough.

“Let me finish this clip then we can head back.” Ryan nods before letting Ray go, watching him finish off the last of the cans they’d set up on the back of the Vinewood sign. He’s been anxious today, being a little grabbier with Ray than he normally means to be. Even with how comfortable they are with each other now, he knows better than to touch Ray too much without his consent. Ray needs his space.

He can’t help it, though. He’s been thinking about it ever since Ray got injured; holding Ray pressed against him to keep him warm. He couldn’t fathom not being able to touch that warmth again. He’d wrung his hands raw over it while Ray was healing and that’s when he’d come to the conclusion that Ray wasn’t the only one in too deep. Ryan had let himself fall in love with this man; and tonight he planned to let Ray know.

Ray props his rifle up against his leg and stretches his shoulder, swinging his arm and rubbing over the rough grooves under his shirt. “Alright, Rye.” He groans as he gives one more big stretch, “Let’s go.” They jump in the car and Ryan breaks more traffic violations than usual on the way back, parking in the garage and heading for the door. “Jesus Christ, Ryan. What’s with you today?” Ray laughs, hand moving to the doorknob but having it swing open and almost hit him in the face.

“Ay, you two are back already?” Geoff steps out into the garage, the keys to his Bifta swinging around his finger.

“Yeah, where are you going?” Ray asks before shuffling past him and into the apartment.

“Oh, nowhere.” Geoff glances at Ryan after Ray is out of earshot. “The others are out right now, too. I sent them on an errand but I might have given them wrong directions.” He winks before slugging Ryan in the arm.

Ryan chuckles and gives him a punch back before closing the door behind him. Ray is already throwing his hoodie on the back of the couch and making himself comfortable; booting up the Xbox and sifting through the collection of games loaded. Ryan takes a deep breath before settling down next to him, arm resting on the couch behind him.

Ray’s not too sure what he’s in the mood to play, so until he decides on anything better he starts a game of Tetris. They stacking of the blocks is almost relaxing it’s so methodical. When he gets to level five he feels Ryan’s arm slip down from the couch to wrap around his waist. The touch isn’t too bad, so he lets it be, trying to concentrate. It’s when a finger just barely tucks into the waistband of his boxers that he fumbles and the words Game Over flash on the screen. He’s frozen, not sure how to react, until Ryan’s fingers slide just a little onto his hip and he twitches.

Ryan stops at Ray’s flinch, moving his digits away from the sensitive area. He didn’t mean to startle him like that. He leans back and removes his arm, Ray visibly relaxing. Ray must not be ready for that yet; so he’ll have to wait. Ryan gives him an apologetic kiss on the cheek and a ruffle of his hair before standing up, guessing Ray would rather be left alone.

Ray grabs his hand and Ryan looks down, Ray’s eyes on the floor. “It’s not like I don’t want to.” He mumbles, “Just- gotta go slow. Prepare myself, you know?”

Ryan understands completely, and he pulls Ray up to stand in front of him. He brushes Ray’s cheek with his thumb, kissing the other repeatedly and moving closer to his lips until he meets them. Ray, while trying to kiss Ryan back, feels the buttons on the controller and turns off the console before throwing it onto the couch. His hands now free, they snake up and wrap around Ryan’s neck. They stay like that for a while, soft kisses and warm embraces, until Ray brakes away. “If we’re going to… We should go to a room.” He suggests nervously.

Ryan agrees, taking his hand and leading them to Ray’s room. He flicks on the bedside lamp and draws the curtains closed against the setting sun, turning back to find Ray standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. He smiles, sitting down on the edge of Ray’s bed and offering his open arms. Ray comes over to stand between Ryan’s knees, hands not knowing what to do until letting them fall to Ryan’s shoulders.

Ryan, as promised, starts slow; kissing Ray’s stomach as Ray tries his best to breathe normal. He lifts up Ray’s shirt a little, planting a kiss on the skin next to his belly button and Ray jumps a little, making him stop and look up. “Sorry, it’s- keep going.” Ray tells him, and Ryan tries again, this time Ray holding still. A sigh of content leaves Ray’s lips and Ryan dares a little more, moving the shirt up to Ray’s chest before Ray pulls it over his head himself, tossing it onto the floor. Ryan’s mouth moves lower, more towards the middle and just as his lips come down to the front of Ray’s pants he catches his eyes.

Ray covers the whimper that escapes his mouth with his hand, the other going to Ryan’s hair. Half of him wants to push Ryan’s shocking contact away, yet the other wants to dive right in. Every movement sends a tingling sensation down to his abdomen and he’s embarrassed at how much his excitement is showing. He’s never wanted something like this before, but man, does he want Ryan right now.

Ryan’s fingers go to Ray’s buckle and Ray has to nod before he continues, undoing it and moving on to his pants. They fall to the floor easily and Ray kicks them away, looking back down at Ryan. Fuck, did he feel horribly self-conscious right now.

Ryan tugs at Ray’s waist and sits back on the bed more, allowing Ray to climb onto Ryan’s lap and sit down. Ryan looks over the light scar on Ray’s shoulder, touching it gingerly before peppering it with kisses. Then, moving his lips precisely, he mouths three small words against Ray’s skin.

Ray’s breath catches, not sure if what Ryan just did was what he thought it was. He looks down at him, mouth not wanting to work right. “You-“ Ryan tries to say it again but it doesn’t work as well with the grin on his face. Ray watches carefully, however, and for once he’s the one that can’t talk. He pushes Ryan to lie down on the bed and captures his mouth with his own, tongue grazing at his bottom lip. He wants to be as close to him as possible and feel every inch, and for Ryan to do the same. He wants Ryan to riddle those words over every part of his body. Ryan does exactly that.

~

Geoff rests his chin on his hand; Jack mixing drinks beside him as he watches the two men on the couch play Diablo 3. Jack slides a glass over to Geoff and takes a sip of his own. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“I don’t know, just… Are they ever going to tell us what the fuck is going on between them, or…?”

“Does it matter?” Jack asks.

“Well, I thought- Ray never showed any interest in relationships before, so I assumed it wasn’t his thing.” He shrugs, finally taking a swig of the burning whiskey. “But now he’s being all couple-y with Ryan of all people.”

“I think they work well together.” Jack tells him, moving from behind the bar. “They balance each other out.”

“I guess.” Geoff mumbles into his glass, “Just better not start making out all over the place.”

Ray adjusts his legs that rest on top of Ryan’s, one of them starting to fall asleep but he’s too lazy to move. “Geoff needs to learn how to talk quieter, huh?” He smirks.

Ryan nods, holding back his own grin as he and Ray start to fight a giant demon. They didn’t really plan on giving some official speech to the crew or whatever explaining what they were to each other. It wasn’t their business what they did and frankly, they haven’t really put a label on it themselves. ‘Boyfriends’ was too mushy sounding and ‘lovers’ made Ray a little uncomfortable, seeming too much like they fuck all the time. They do, sometimes, but not always. Ryan never pushes and Ray never feels pressured. It made whenever they did have sex that much more important; usually saved for after a risky heist when they needed to work out the adrenaline and nerves and hold each other because fuck, they could have died. They takes things a day at a time because that’s all they really can do with the life they lead, never knowing if they were going to make it back to the apartment in one piece. It’s dangerous and stupid, but they couldn’t live life any other way.


End file.
